1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a box for convenient storage and transport of medical equipment required to obtain biological specimens from a patient and to store and transport the biological specimens after collection from the patient.
2. Background of the Invention
Many medical procedures require a sample of a bodily fluid to be obtained from a patient and transported to a laboratory for analysis. For example, many medical tests require samples of blood. The samples of blood typically are drawn by using the combination of a needle assembly, a needle holder and a plurality of evacuated tubes. The needle assembly may include a needle cannula with sharply pointed proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending between the ends. A plastic hub may be securely mounted to the needle cannula at a location between the proximal and distal ends. The hub may include an array of threads or other structure for mounting the needle assembly to the needle holder. The needle assembly may further include caps and/or shields for protectively enclosing the needle cannula prior to use and, when the shield is an integrated safety feature, after use.
The needle holder typically is a tubular plastic structure with a widely open proximal end and a partly closed distal end. The distal end includes a small opening configured for releasable engagement with the hub of the needle assembly. Thus, the proximal needle will extend into the region bounded by the tubular side wall of the needle holder. The distal end of the needle cannula, however, will project distally beyond the needle holder.
The evacuated tubes typically are formed from glass in view of the ability of a glass tube to retain a vacuum. Each glass tube include a cylindrical side wall, a closed bottom and an open top. A needle pierceable stopper is affixed in the open top of the glass tube.
The above-described blood collection assemblies are employed by mounting the needle assembly to the needle holder and placing the distal end of the needle cannula into communication with the blood vessel of a patient. An evacuated tube then is urged into the open proximal end of the needle holder so that the pointed proximal end of the needle pierces the stopper of the evacuated tube to permit a flow of blood into the evacuated tube. The evacuated tube is withdrawn from the needle holder after a selected volume of blood has been collected. A second evacuated tube then may be inserted into the open proximal end of the needle holder for drawing a second sample of blood. The procedure may be repeated several times for collecting the required number of samples. The tubes with the fluid samples are marked or labeled to identify the patient and are transported to a laboratory for analysis.
Fluid samples often are collected in a hospital, and the equipment for collecting the sample may be stored on carts that can be wheeled from one location to another in the hospital. After the appropriate number of specimens have been collected, the equipment used to collect the specimens must be discarded or stored for recycling in an appropriately and safe manner. For example, exposed portions of the used needle cannula may be shielded by an integrated safety shield, separated from the needle holder and deposited in a sharps receptacle. The needle holder may be transported to a location for sterilization and recycling. Alternatively, the assembly of the needle and the needle holder may be discarded in their assembled condition and without first separating the needle from the holder. The collected fluid samples then may be placed in racks that can be transported from the location where the samples are collected to the laboratory of the hospital for analysis.
Fluid samples are not always collected in a hospital. For example, many fluid samples are collected at a doctor's office or clinic and must be transported to a laboratory for analysis. In many other instances, fluid samples are collected at the patient's residence, in an ambulance or at some other location remote from any health care facility. In these situations, the health care worker must bring the specimen collection equipment to the patient, store the collection equipment after the specimen has been collected and arranged for safe transport of the collected specimen to the laboratory.
The equipment to collect a fluid sample must be stored in a manner for convenient access by the health care worker. This storage also must prevent both breakage of the evacuated glass tubes and damage to the small fragile needles prior to use. Furthermore, specimen collection tubes must be stored in a manner that will permit safe and convenient transportation to the laboratory.